05 August 2024
This is the running story of Australia at the 2024 Junior League World Series.
Australia are represented by New South Wales’ Cronulla Sharks, who won the qualifying event at the Australian Junior League Championships in May in Lismore.
The team is now in Taylor, Michigan ready to take on the best teams in the world at the U15 age-group.
01 August 2024
They say, “If you wan’t to be the best, you have to beat the best.”
Cronulla Black did exactly that in May at the Australian Junior League Championship.
They fended off a group of Brisbane North players who had won two straight national championships and represented Australia at consecutive World Series events.
Cronulla won a dramatic extra-innings Championship Game to claim the Australian title. In fact, by my measure, it was the best game of charter baseball I’ve seen.
Next stop? The world.
The kids from Cronulla will travel to Taylor, Michigan for the 2024 Junior League World Series, which starts August 4.
They’ll play in a double-elimination tournament vs national champions from their Under-15 age group from all across the globe. Cronulla becomes Australia. They represent us all.
Their first game is Sunday 4 August at 2:00PM local time, 4:00AM in Sydney on Monday, vs the winners of the Canadian Junior League Championships.
You can find the schedule here. You can watch the game on Watch ESPN with a Foxtel subscription. Or, follow this handy guide.
The team flies out the week of July 29.
Let’s meet the Australian representatives at this incredible event, find out how they got here, and learn more about each of the players.
State: New South Wales
Clubs: Arncliffe Scots, Giants Baseball, Cronulla Sharks, St. George Junior Baseball
Australian Senior League Championship Record: 5-1 (outscored opponents 67-15)
First, Cronulla Black had to qualify for the national championships via their state. Cronulla Black lost only the Gold Medal game at the 2024 New South Wales State Championships, while allowing just 14 runs in five games.
At nationals, Cronulla looked in fine early form. They won all three of their pool play games by a combined margin of 43-0.
In the reseed game, they fell 9-7 to the Southern Hills Warriors. They won a semi-final clash with the Adelaide Marlins, which they won 14-4.
It set up perhaps the best game of the entire Australian charter season. Cronulla Black vs Brisbane North, a formidable team who had won two straight national events. Honestly, you have to watch the highlights.
Cronulla Black won one of the greatest Gold Medal games you’ll ever see in a second extra inning.
They had to come back from two runs down in the final inning just to force the tiebreaker. They scored the tying run while down to the final strike. They even threw out what would have been the Championship-winning run at the plate.
Archie Sampson’s RBI double in the top of the ninth proved to be the winner, and some stone cold pitching from Harrison Thomas-McLean closed it out as Cronulla toppled Brisbane to win a championship and advance to the World Series.
They nearly didn’t get there. They were down to a final strike.
Honestly, just watch the highlights or check out the full recap here. It was epic.
It feels like the right time to introduce to you this group of Australian champion baseballers.
Will Bonham (Arncliffe Scots) – Will provided one of the signature moments of the tournament season. In the first game of the tournament, Will struck out all eleven batters he faced in a perfect 3.2 inning start vs Southern Hills Warriors. In the semi-final, he tossed 4.0 innings of one-run ball. He had 19 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. With the bat he went 4-for-14. This is Will’s second trip to America. He played in the 2022 Cal Ripken World Series.
Liam Carmody (Giants Baseball) – Carmody had a productive tournament. He went 4-for-10 with six walks and chipped in with nine runs to lead the team. He provided a big boost to the Sharks in the semi-final game by collecting two hits vs the Marlins.
Ben Croser (Giants Baseball) – Ben hasn’t been playing the game long. He moved to America for two years with his family as a 10-year-old and fell in love with the sport. Now, he’s representing his country. Ben chipped in with a very productive four hits throughout the tournament week. He also threw out a potential winning run for Brisbane North at home in the grand final.
Harry Fuz (Giants Baseball) – 13-year-old Cuz is one of the youngest players on the roster. He is a two way player. Fuz pitched 3.2 innings at nationals. He collected a hit and scored three runs with the bat. This is Harry’s first overseas experience.
Jacob Gallardo (Arncliffe Scots) – Five hits and three RBI with the bat. Two innings of shutout work on the mound. Jacob is a two-way player who can command a few different positions on the field.
Jesse Garnero (Arncliffe Scots) – Jesse plays the game hard and fast. He had four hits with the bat and pitched 1.2 of shutout baseball with a stolen base.
Tyce Hill (Cronulla Sharks) – Tyce is another two-way player Cronulla has in their arsenal. He pitched five innings, allowing just three runs at nationals. With the bat, Tyce was third on the team with seven hits.
Lachlan McGuckin Anderson (Giants Baseball) – 13-year-old Lachlan made the jump from Little League in 2023 to Junior League in 2024 and won a national championship despite being one of the younger players. He went 4-for-14 with the bat in a productive tournament at the plate.
Archie Samson (Arncliffe Scots) – Archie led the team in hits, going 9-for-19 in the tournament while pitching two innings of shutout ball. Samson had a crucial double in the Gold Medal game. He led the team with eight RBI.
Jake Shorey (Giants Baseball) – Jake posted eight hits and seven RBI in the tournament, good for second on the team in both categories. He also pitched more than anyone else, going 8.2 innings without allowing a run. Shorey was a pivotal pitcher in the Grand Final match vs Brisbane North.
Harrison Thomas-McLean (St. George) – One of the heroes of the Gold Medal Game. Harry pitched the final three innings of the championship game, allowing two hits and no runs. He had to dodge his way out of trouble, and on multiple occasions got out of jams with the winning run at third base. He was 4-for-12 with the bat with a pair of RBI. Harry pitched for Australia at the 2023 U12 World Cup.
Patrick Williams (Arncliffe Scots) – 14-year-old Patrick made the Cronulla Black squad after not playing representative baseball since he was 10. He was very productive in his return to the national stage. He went 5-for-14 with the bat and pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball.
31 May 2024
by Eric Balnar / photos from Dan Cohen
Cronulla Black won an all-time great Gold Medal Game, defeating Brisbane North in a high-drama extra innings game by a score of 3-2.
They advance to the Junior League World Series. You have to read about this game.
There were also four consolation games including a bronze medal match. You can find the schedule below.
Here you will find scores, results, recaps, standings and full highlights of the gold medal game. If you’re looking for one of those just keep scrolling – it will be there!
We will be logging all results and information at the Junior League Hub. Click here for Day 1 Recap. Here is the Day 2 results story. Day three? It’s right here. Day four, the semi-final day, is found here.
The Intermediate League event is running at same time. You can find details here.
VIDEOS FROM TOURNAMENT: Click here.
Cronulla Black 3 def Brisbane North 2 (extras)
Bronze Medal – Southern Hills Warriors 5 def Adelaide Marlins 4
Consolation – Manly Maroon 18 def Adelaide Rays 0
Consolation – Central Firebirds 6 def Melbourne Rangers 2 (extra innings)
Consolation – Central Firebirds 7 def Melbourne Athletics 5
Gold Medal – Cronulla Black 3 def Brisbane North 2 (extras)
Cronulla Black won one of the greatest Gold Medal games you’ll ever see in a second extra inning.
They had to come back from two runs down in the final inning just to force the tiebreaker. They scored the tying run while down to the final strike. They even threw out what would have been the Championship-winning run at the plate.
Archie Sampson’s RBI double in the top of the ninth proved to be the winner, and some stone cold pitching from Harrison Thomas-McLean closed it out as Cronulla toppled Brisbane to win a championship and advance to the World Series.
They nearly didn’t get there. They were down to a final strike. You’ll read about that here. But the highlights are well worth a watch…
This game had everything. Great pitching. Insane defensive plays. A late comeback. A couple runs thrown out at the plate. High-drama. And of course, a championship.
We’re a bit lost on how to summarise this one for you, so this story with some highlights will have to do.
It was tense from pitch number one. Brisbane’s starting pitcher Lachlan Richards was superb. He tossed 4.2 shutout innings with six strikeouts.
He left the game with a 2-0 lead. Brisbane manufactured the first runs of the game in the third. Mason Clem worked a bases loaded walk to bring the first score across the board. Alonzo Zaire Griffin’s sacrifice fly to deep centre pushed the Brisbane North lead to 2-0.
That score held all the way to the seventh inning large in part to great pitching from Cronulla starter Jake Shorey.
His final stat line: 6.0 innings, five hits, two runs and 10 strikeouts.
It allowed Cronulla to strike late.
The drama was taken to another stratosphere in the seventh and final regulation inning.
Down 2-0, Cronulla made their move. Archie Sampson led off with a double. Will Bonham cashed him in two batters later. Heads up base running from Samson on a ground-out moved him to third.
Then, with two strikes and two outs on the board, a wild pitch scored Bonham. Bedlam. Tie-ball game.
They had a couple runners on base and a chance to take the lead, but Hayden Radloff made an impressive leaping grab on a line drive that surely would have scored a Cronulla go-ahead run.
Brisbane had a chance to walk it-off in the bottom of the seventh. Tirrell Waiwai smashed a double and was in scoring position.
But, Ben Croser later threw him out at home, saving the Championship winning run from crossing the plate.
Brisbane later loaded the bases but somehow Cronulla pitcher Harrison Thomas-McLean worked out of the jam to force extra-innings.
The drama didn’t stop in the tie-breaking inning. After making quick work of the Cronulla offence in the top of the eighth, Tyler White crushed a double to the left field wall and later advanced to third.
Runner on third. No outs.
But Thomas-McLean induced a fly ball in shallow fly territory and Will Bonham took a tremendous catch. Thomas-McLean then worked back-to-back strikeouts to force a ninth inning.
It allowed Cronulla to seize the lead in the ninth. Archie Sampson’s one-out double drove in the go-ahead run.
Harrison Thomas-McLean closed the door with two strike-outs and a ground out to secure the championship.
Thomas-McLean (below) ended with just two hits conceded with five strike-outs and importantly no runs.
Archie Sampson (Cronulla) and Tirrell Waiwai were the only players who recorded multiple hits.
Cronulla advance to the 2024 Junior League World Series.
Bronze Medal – Southern Hills Warriors 5 def Adelaide Marlins 4
The Warriors scored a seventh inning run to break a 4-4 tie to claim a bronze medal at the Junior League titles.
Rhys Warton scored on a wild-pitch with two outs in the top of the seventh to move Southern Hills ahead.
They also benefitted from some tidy defense. Shortstop Sam Simmons anchored a pretty double-play to end the game with the tying run aboard.
Nine different Marlins had hits as the Warriors dodged their way out of high basepath traffic all afternoon.
It was a tense affair. Patrick Mews drove in two runs for Adelaide in the bottom of the sixth to tie a game that Southern Hills had been leading the whole way.
Simmons put Hills up by two with an RBI in the first. They added two more in the sixth to lead 4-1 before the Marlins mounted a comeback.
The Marlins outhit the Warriors 9-5.
Consolation – Central Firebirds 6 def Melbourne Rangers 2
The Firebirds won a thriller in extra innings, scoring four in the eighth to defeat the Melbourne Rangers in an epic pitcher’s dual.
Starting pitcher Archie Moffatt tossed all 8.0 innings for the Firebirds, striking out 10 batters.
He also had the winning runs driven in. Moffat cashed in the go-ahead run in extra innings to put the Firebirds up 3-2, before three more runs scored on wild pitches.
The game was forced to extras when Melbourne’s Jackson Burton’s RBI-single tied the game at two late.
Jackson Burton also started on the mound for Melbourne, going 7.0 innings with two hits and 15 strikeouts.
Consolation – Central Firebirds 7 def Melbourne Athletics 5
Two games, two thrilling wins that went down to the wire for the Firebirds.
The Firebirds came from behind by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh, to wrangle a 5-4 lead away from the Athletics. Walks, errors, and a wild pitch proved costly for Melbourne.
Moments earlier, Hamish Willemson broke a 4-4 deadlock for the Athletics with an RBI double in the top of the sixth.
Teams traded shots earlier. Melbourne scored a single run in the first but the Firebirds answered with four unanswered to lead 4-1. The Athletics scored three in the third to tie it.
Consolation – Manly Maroon 18 def Adelaide Rays 0
Manly scored in every inning, including nine in the fifth, in a runaway victory to finish consolation round play.
Ten different Manly batters had hits, as the team combined for 16 on the afternoon. Austin Murdoch, Jesse Hanrahan, Jude Trevitt, Tennyson Bragg, Cooper Williams and William Davies all had two hits.
Kai Riddle and Will Davies led the team with 3-RBI.
Murdoch also pitched, allowing just one hit in 4.0 innings with five strikeouts.
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